URTH
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From: "Andrew Bollen" 
Subject: (urth) Baldanders, Acies Castle & the Citadel
Date: Tue, 29 Jul 2003 14:55:19 +1000

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Very tangentially ... One of the things which makes me a gushing GW =
fan-boy is the realistic depth to his worlds, despite all the fantasy =
elements. A small example: I see a natural progression from Baldander's =
castle, to Acies Castle at Thrax, to the Citadel (or maybe all of =
Nessus).=20

In each case, these correspond in purpose to castles historically: not =
so much to guard against foreign enemies, as to keep a local population =
in subjugation. (See the afterword to Lictor, talking about Acies; and =
Jonas' half-finished story presumably about the wall of Nessus in =
Torturer).=20

And the Diturna-Thrax-Nessus progression also corresponds to the =
development of power and nobility common in history: a local brigand =
establishes his power over a district with a rough fortification; in =
time his rule becomes established over a wider area and rooted in some =
kind of noble tradition; once empires form, the most successful brigand =
gets to rule everything, including the now-provincial barons and =
magnates, who become his legates and satraps.

The Romans seemed to have a strong sense of this progression, an =
awareness perhaps that their rulers were really just successful brigands =
underneath all the trappings. When they were able, they would act =
mightily against any brigands who sought to establish themselves in a =
fixed position. Eg: Masada - an entire legion out of a total of only =
about 25 in the whole empire, plus thousands of auiliaries, against a =
small band of weak opponents, for many months.=20

I think this kind of progression was probably explicit in GW's thinking =
about Urth. Baldanders could have become the new Typhon, with better =
luck.=20


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Very tangentially ... One of the things = which makes=20 me a gushing GW fan-boy is the realistic depth to his worlds, despite = all the=20 fantasy elements. A small example: I see a natural progression from = Baldander's=20 castle, to Acies Castle at Thrax, to the Citadel (or maybe all of = Nessus).=20
 
In each case, these correspond in = purpose to=20 castles historically: not so much to guard against foreign enemies, as = to keep a=20 local population in subjugation. (See the afterword to Lictor, talking = about=20 Acies; and Jonas' half-finished story presumably about the wall of = Nessus=20 in Torturer).
 
And the Diturna-Thrax-Nessus=20 progression also corresponds to the development of power and=20 nobility common in history: a local brigand establishes his = power over=20 a district with a rough fortification; in time his rule becomes = established over=20 a wider area and rooted in some kind of noble tradition; once empires = form, the=20 most successful brigand gets to rule everything, including the = now-provincial=20 barons and magnates, who become his legates and satraps.
 
The Romans seemed to have a strong = sense of this=20 progression, an awareness perhaps that their rulers were really just = successful=20 brigands underneath all the trappings. When they were able, they would=20 act mightily against any brigands who sought to establish = themselves in a=20 fixed position. Eg: Masada - an entire legion out of a total = of only=20 about 25 in the whole empire, plus thousands of auiliaries, against = a small=20 band of weak opponents, for many months.
 
I think this kind of progression was = probably=20 explicit in GW's thinking about Urth. Baldanders could have become the = new=20 Typhon, with better luck.
 
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